Pattern drum attachment for circular knitting machine



Nov. 19, 1957 J. 1. MACON ETAL I 2,813,410

PATTERN DRUM ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.3

Fig.5

John Macon Joseph 7'. Canupp RayC. Koonfs IN VEN TORS BY Zijmg Nov. 19, 19 J. l. MACON ETAL PATTERN DRUM ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 John Macon Joseph 7'. Cam/pp Roy 0. Koanfs INVENTORS United States Patent Patented N ov'. 19, 1957 PATTERN DRUM ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE John I. Macon, High Point, Joseph T. Canupp, Archdale, and Roy C. Koonts, Lexington, N. C.

Application April 25, 1956, Serial No. 580,537

9 Claims. (Cl. 66-156) This invention comprises a novel and useful pattern drum attachment for circular knitting machines and more particularly relates to an adjustable cam construction for the pattern drum whereby various selected cam contours can be formed thereon in an improved manner to vary the pattern of a conventional circular knitting machine.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a pattern drum attachment whereby the pattern drum controlling the operation of circular knitting machines of conventional types may be readily and easily varied.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment particularly adapted for use with the conventional Hemphill Banner circular knitting machine.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a pattern drum attachment inaccordance with the foregoing objects wherein by merely changing the conventional pattern cams and pattern cam spacer rings of a pattern drum assembly, pattern cams having any desired contours may be readily and easily formed.

These together with other objects and advantages which Will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of aportion of the pat- 4 tern drum assembly of a conventional circular knitting machine, and particularly of the well known Hemphill Banner circular knitting machine, and showing the improved pattern drum having the present invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a pattern drum cam in accordance with this invention and showing the manner in which adapter elements are removably associated therewith to provide a cam profile of any desired character; the view being taken in horizontal section substantially upon the-plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a detail view in vertical section, upon an enlarged scale, of a portion of a pattern cam drum showingthe attachment in accordance with this invention applied thereto;

Figure 4 is an elevational view and Figure 5 is an end view, at right angles to Figure 4, showing one of the adapter elements in accordance with this invention;

Figure 6 is an elevational view of the conventional pattern drum assembly of a circular knitting machine to which the present invention is applied;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the pattern drum with the pattern cams and their spacers and associated elements removed therefrom;

Figure 8 is an end view of the pattern drum of Figure 7, but showing the ratchet drive wheel thereof; and

Figure 9 is a plan view of the pattern drum spacer ring in accordance with this invention.

The knitting operations of a circular knitting machine are controlled by the pattern drum assembly operating through conventional elements. When it is desired to vary the operation of a given machine in order to perform a different sequence of knitting operations, it is necessary to discard all or a portion of the pattern drum cam rings thereon and to replace them with other rings having thedesired predetermined cam profile or contour. In the conventional pattern drum, these pattern cam rings are separated by sapcer rings, the assembly of alternate cam rings and spacer rings being clamped together upon the pattern cylinder.

Considerable time and effort is required to effect a change in the pattern drum, and the previously used pattern drum cam rings are thereupon discarded and constitute a loss to the knitting machine owner.

It is the primary intent and purpose of this invention to provide an attachment which may readily apply to existing and conventional pattern drums of conventional circular knitting machines whereby the conversion of the cam elements of the pattern drum for different knitting operations may be readily and easily eifected, by the mere rearrangement of adapter elements associated with the pattern drum cam rings in a novel manner, whereby there is no loss or discarding of materials, and a relatively slight delay in converting the pattern drum to its new use.

In Figure 1 there is disclosed a portion of a conventional circular knitting machine showing a pattern drum assembly indicated generally by the numeral 10, and which in a manner well known in the art controls the knitting operations of the machine.

Referring primarily to Figures 6 and 7 it will be seen that the pattern drum assembly includes a cylindrical drum element 12 having a ratchet wheel 14 secured thereto by which step-by-step rotation is imparted to the drum during the operation of the machine. Mounted upon the drum 12 are a series of alternate spacer rings 16, see Figure 9, and pattern cam rings 18, see Figure 2. The series of rings is clamped upon the drum and against an abutting shoulder or supporting surface such as the ratchet wheel 14, by means of a pressure or clamping ring Ztlthrough the agency of a member 22 having clamping bolts 24 therein. The alternate arrangement of the cam rings 18 and of the spacer rings 16 is indicated in Figure 3.

The novel spacer rings, as shown in Figure 9, are provided With a radially inwardly projecting key 26 adapted to be slidably received in the longitudinally extending keyway 28 of the pattern drum 12, as will be apparent from Figure 7. A series of circumferentially spaced apertures 39 is provided in each of the spacer rings, adjacent the peripheries of the same, for a purpose to be subsequently set forth.

Each of the cam rings 18 is of the same internal and external diameter as that of the spacer ring 16, but the previously described key 26 of the spacing rings is omitted from the pattern rings, as: are the apertures 30. Instead, the external circumference of the cam ring 18 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending notches or slots 32, each notch corresponding to one of the series of apertures 30 in the spacing rings. In the stack of alternate spacing rings and cam rings upon the pattern cylinder, it is to be understood that the slots 32 and the apertures are to be vertically aligned with each other, for a purpose to be subsequently set forth.

In order to provide an easily varied and predetermined cam profile or contour to the cam rings, a series of interchangeable adaptcr elements, operatively associated with the slots 32 is provided. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, each of the adapter elements designated generally by the numeral 34 may consist of a fiat plate like T-shaped member having a stern portion 36 together with a laterally enlarged head portion 38 whose outermost surface 40 may be arcuate in contour. The stem is provided with an aperture 42 which is adapted to align with the series of apertures 30 and notches 32 of the assembled stack of alternate spacer rings and cam rings, as will be apparent from Figure 3, when the stem portions 36 is received in a notch 32. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in such assembled position of the adapter inserts, the head portion 38 thereof will project beyond the circumference of the stack of spacer and cam rings and in their entirety will provide the desired cam lobe or cam profile for that particular cam ring.

In order to carry out this purpose, it will be observed from Figure 3 that the element 34 is of substantially the same thickness as that of one of the cam rings 13, although the spacer ring 16 may be considerably thinner, as illustrated in Figure 3, as desired.

A clamping plate 44, likewise having a series of apertures 46 adapted to register with the apertures 30 is provided, each of the apertures 46 having a counterbored recess 48. Fastening pins 50 are adapted to be received in the aligned bores 30 and notches 32 of the series of the spacer and cam rings, and also through the apertures 42 of whichever adapter inserts are employed, in order to retain these elements in the desired assembled position The pins have a headed portion 52 received in the recess 48, whereby the plate 20 will retain all of the pins in position and thus detachably and releasably maintain the assembled stack of spacer and cam rings together with their adapter inserts in fixed position.

It will now be readily apparent that in order to change the profile of any one or all of the pattern drum cam rings, it is merely necessary to release the plate 20, and thereafter withdraw the pins 50 from the plate 44. This will release the corresponding adapter inserts 38, whereby the same may be removed and reapplied in the proper and desired grouping about the circumeference of the respective pattern cam rings in order to provide the desired new cam contour.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pattern drum assembly for circular knitting machines comprising a pattern drum, a plurality of cam rings on said drum, a plurality of radially directed circumferentially spaced notches in said rings opening upon the outer circumference thereof, a plurality of adapter inserts each having a stem portion selectively receivable in one of said notches and a head portion projecting beyond the outer circumference thereof for constituting a cam surface of said carn ring, means detachably securing said adapters in the notches of said cam rings, said adapters being of the same thickness as that of the cam ring and lying in the same planes therewith, said stems being of the same Width as said notches for radial sliding movement thereinto.

2. A pattern drum assembly for circular knitting machines comprising a pattern drum, a plurality of cam rings on said drum, a plurality of radially directed circurnferentially spaced notches in said rings opening upon the outer circumference thereof, a plurality of adapter inserts each having a stem portion selectively receivable in one of said notches and a head portion projecting beyond the outer circumference thereof for constituting a cam surface of said cam ring, means detachably securing said adapters in the notches of said cam rings, a plurality of spacer rings each disposed between a pair of cam rings and mounted on said pattern drum.

3. A pattern drum assembly for circular knitting machines comprising a pattern drum, a plurality of cam rings on said drum, a plurality of radially directed circumferentially spaced notches in said rings opening upon the outer circumference thereof, a plurality of adapter inserts each having a stem portion selectively receivable in one of said notches and a head portion projecting beyond the outer circumference thereof for constituting a cam surface of said cam ring, means detachably securing said adapters in the notches of said cam rings, a plurality of spacer rings each disposed between a pair of cam rings and mounted on said pattern drum, said securing means simultaneously locking said cam rings to said spacer rings, means attaching said spacer rings to said drum.

4. A pattern drum assembly for circular knitting machines comprising a pattern drum, a plurality of cam rings on said drum, a plurality of radially directed citrcumferentially spaced notches in said rings opening upon the outer circumference thereof, a plurality of adapter inserts each having a stem portion selectively receivable in one of said notches and a head portion projecting beyond the outer circumference thereof for constituting a cam surface of said cam ring, means detachably securing said adapters in the notches of siad cam rings, a plurality of spacer rings each disposed between a pair of cam rings and mounted on said pattern drum, said spacer rings having apertures therethrough registering with said notches, said securing means comprising pins extending through registering apertures and notches.

5. A pattern drum assembly for circular knitting machines comprising a pattern drum, a plurality of cam rings on said drum, a plurality of radially directed circumferentially spaced notches in said rings opening upon the outer circumference thereof, a plurality of adapter inserts each having a stern portion selectively receivable in one of said notches and a head portion projecting beyond the outer circumference thereof for constituting a cam surface of said cam ring, means detachably securing said adapters in the notches of said cam rings, a plurality of spacer rings each disposed between a pair of cam rings and mounted on said pattern drum, said stern portions and said spacer rings having apertures registering with said notches, said securing means comprising pins extending through registering notches and apertures in the stem portions and spacer rings.

6. A pattern drum assembly for circular knitting machines comprising a pattern drum, a plurality of cam rings on said drum, a plurality of radially directed circumferentially spaced notches in said rings opening upon the outer circumference thereof, a plurality of adapter inserts each having a stem portion selectively receivable in one of said notches and a head portion projecting beyond the outer circumference thereof for constituting a cam surface of said cam ring, means detachably securing said adapters in the notches of said cam rings, a plurality of spacer rings each disposed between a pair of cam rings and mounted on said pattern drum, means for simultaneously securing a stack of cam and spacer rings together and retaining said securing means.

7. An attachment for the pattern drum of a circular knitting machine comprising cam rings and spacer rings adapted to be positioned in alteration upon the conventional pattern drum of a circular knitting machine, circumferentially spaced peripheral notches in said cam rings, apertures in the spacer rings registering with said notches,

adapters having stem portions interchangeably engageable in any of said notches and head portions projecting radially from the cams and spacer rings to provide cam surfaces for the cam rings, fasteners securing the adapter stems to said cam rings.

8. The combination of claim 7 and means simultaneously clamping said spacer and cam rings and retaining said fasteners.

9. The combination of claim 7 wherein said spacer rings and said adapter stems have registering apertures, said fasteners extending through said registering apertures.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

